The Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce is introduced as the 13th full-time coach in the Atlanta history of the NBA basketball franchise on Monday, May 14, 2018, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com

After three road games, it’s Young vs. Doncic in Hawks’ home opener

The Hawks open the 2018-19 season with three road games and then return home for their lone national television appearance.

The NBA will take full advantage of draft-day drama in that first game at the renovated Philips Arena.

After starting the season at the Knicks on Oct. 17, the Hawks play at the Grizzlies and the Cavaliers. The home opener will come against the Mavericks on Oct. 24 and will be televised by ESPN. The Hawks drafted Luka Doncic with the No. 3 overall pick in June and traded him to the Mavericks after they selected Trae Young with the No. 5 pick. See what they did there?

The Hawks will host the Mavericks and the national TV audience after the completion of the three-phase $192.5 million project that took two years at Philips Arena.

All but five Monday-Saturday home games, including a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matchup with the Magic on Jan. 21, begin at 7:30 p.m.

The Hawks can cue the tribute videos in back-to-back games in January.

On Jan. 19, the Bucks make their first appearance of the season in Atlanta. Milwaukee is now coached by Mike Budenholzer, who began looking for a new job after five seasons with the Hawks just days after the completion of last season. He landed with the Bucks after interviews with several other teams. The Hawks hired first-time head coach Lloyd Pierce after Budenholzer left and took most of his staff.

On Jan. 15, the Thunder make their only appearance in Atlanta. Oklahoma City now has Dennis Schroder on its roster after a three-team trade this summer sent the starting point guard to the Western Conference after he spent his first five years with the Hawks.

Other notes of interest in the Hawks schedule include:

* The longest road trip of the season is a seven-game journey from Jan. 21-Feb. 4.

* That trip is immediately followed by the longest homestand of the season with seven straight games from Feb. 7-23 which includes the all-star break.

* The Hawks have 12 back-to-backs with six road/road, three home/home and three road/home. They do not have a home/road back-to-back.

* The Hawks will be home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving falls on Nov. 22 between home games against the Raptors and Celtics. Christmas falls between a game at the Pistons on Dec. 23 and a home game against the Pacers on Dec. 26. They will spend New Year’s Eve in Indianapolis.

* In the Eastern Conference, the Hawks only play the Raptors, Pistons, Nets and Cavaliers three times. They make just one trip to the Raptors and Pistons.

* The Hawks will be done with the Cavaliers by Dec. 29 after they play at Cleveland on Oct. 21 and 30.

* World champion Golden State makes its only appearance in Atlanta on Dec. 3

* LeBron James, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, makes his only appearance in Atlanta on Feb. 12.